Susanna Reid has revealed she had a “stressful” mammogram appointment after postponing the scan and ignoring her reminder letter out of fear.
The 52-year-old presenter told co-host Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday that she finally went to hospital for the scan after hearing Sarah Ferguson’s pleas for women to undergo the routine test.
In June, Sarah, 63, announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a successful single mastectomy at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London.
Susanna described how she mustered up the courage to go for a check-up before property presenter Sarah Beeny, 51, appeared on the show to talk about her battle with breast cancer and was given the all-clear.
The NHS Breast Screening Program invites all women aged 50 to 70 who are registered with a GP to be screened every three years.
Health: Susanna Reid has revealed she had a “stressful” mammogram appointment after postponing the scan due to fear
Diagnosis: In June, Sarah Ferguson, 63, announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a successful single mastectomy at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London
“I had a mammogram. Do you remember? We talked about Sarah Ferguson and she had pushed everyone to do it,” Susanna said.
“I really resisted it and then there was a big argument about some health authorities not sending out regular reminders.” “I remembered there had been a letter somewhere and so I did it.”
Ed asked if she found the experience stressful, to which Susanna described how things didn’t go smoothly when she left her phone in the car.
She said, “You know what? It was a bit stressful because our nice editor Daniel drove me there and then I left my cell phone in the car. And then I felt stressed because I didn’t have my phone.
“Then I had to go to another person in the waiting room and ask them if I could email the program secretary from their cell phone to see if they could get in touch…Anyway, I was completely distracted.”
“Thank you so much, Daniel, for driving me to my mammogram.” “I went to the nurse, it was just wonderful.”
Susanna said she expected the scan to be “far, much worse” and urged others not to put it off like she did.
She said: “It was painful or uncomfortable in the least, I expected it to be much, much worse. “The results came within a few weeks and it was all clear.”
Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson’s cancer scare began in early May when a routine pre-coronation test first discovered something was seriously wrong.
Important: The 52-year-old presenter told co-host Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday that she finally went to hospital for a check-up after hearing Sarah Ferguson’s pleas
Check-up: The scan uses low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. It can detect cancers that are too small to see or feel (pictured)
Sarah attended an appointment in London for a mammogram. Instead of giving the all-clear as expected, the technician explained that a “shadow” could be seen in the chest.
Given the size of the area, a lumpectomy was ruled out and Sarah was strongly advised to have a single mastectomy to eliminate the shadow of cancer cells on the breast.
Sarah said she was devastated but determined to have a mastectomy as soon as possible, telling friends she had “no choice” but to undergo the operation.
The Duchess had to endure an arduous eight-hour operation.
Fergie said she wondered if she needed “a part of her body cut off to wake up?”
“Not because I saw death, but because I woke up to not have to worry anymore, with self-hatred, with self-doubt, with all of those things. “Stop disliking yourself…” she said.
After Sarah asked if it “took that” to gain more confidence, Fergie said: “Yes, it did in my case.”
She said her self-esteem has changed since her life after the surgery.
She explained: “You have a huge scar, but you like yourself…You like yourself a lot.”
“You have a badge of office, you simply are what you are, and… of course, the last thing the Queen said to me.” [was]: “Just be yourself, Sarah.”
“And she saw it. She was just so annoyed when I wasn’t myself. And that’s probably when I started dealing with all the pickles.
“But now I’m myself and I’m just so lucky to be able to be myself.”
She continued, “I’m very lucky that my sister sent me for a mammogram because it saved my life.”
The Duchess also spoke about how she had recovered since the operation, saying that her reconstructed breast “Derek” was doing “very well.”
She said she returned to a more active lifestyle over the summer and also took walks to stay in shape while on holiday in Scotland, because “at 63 you have to exercise.”
Have your say: On Tuesday’s show, real estate presenter Sarah Beeny talked about her fight against breast cancer and the all-clear
Hart: Sarah revealed in August last year that she was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for breast cancer and had a double mastectomy
On Tuesday’s show, real estate presenter Sarah Beeny spoke about her battle with breast cancer.
Sarah revealed in August last year that she was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for breast cancer and had a double mastectomy.
A year later, the TV favorite reflected on the past 12 months on the show.
She said, “I prefer to erase the difficult parts and just remember all the good parts.” That’s my personal way of doing it.
“It was a bit tiring. I had a very fortunate diagnosis and am very fortunate to be living in the UK with the amazing treatment and research. I feel very lucky and I know that other people are not as lucky as me.”
Sarah has four sons Billy, 18, Charlie, 16, Rafferty, 14, and Laurie, 12, with her husband of 19 years, Graham Swift, and credits them as her motivation for going public with her diagnosis.
The presenter gave the all-clear on breast cancer, but said she would have to take medication and be “very vigilant” for the next ten years.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, affecting more than two MILLION women every year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. There are more than 55,000 new cases in the UK every year and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the United States, it affects 266,000 people each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancer cell that develops in the lining of a milk duct, or lobe, in one of the breasts.
If the breast cancer has spread into the surrounding tissue, it is said to be “invasive”. Some people are diagnosed with “carcinoma in situ,” in which no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobe.
Most cases occur in people over 50, although younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, although this is rare.
Staging provides information about how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancer cells are graded from “low” (slow growth) to “high” (fast growth). High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after the first treatment.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumor arises from an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. Something is thought to damage or alter certain genes in the cell. This leads to abnormal cell proliferation that gets “out of control”.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the risk, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are noncancerous and are fluid-filled cysts that are benign.
The first place breast cancer usually spreads is the lymph nodes in the armpit. In this case, a swelling or lump occurs in the armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of breast tissue that may indicate the possibility of tumors.
- Biopsy: A biopsy involves taking a small sample of tissue from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you may need further tests to see if the cancer has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest x-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone treatment. A combination of two or more of these treatments is often used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast, depending on the size of the tumor.
- Radiation therapy: A treatment that focuses high-energy rays on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used as a supplement to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment for cancer using anticancer drugs that kill cancer cells or prevent them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are influenced by the “female” hormone estrogen, which can stimulate cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that lower levels of these hormones or prevent them from working are often used in breast cancer patients.
How successful is the treatment?
The best prospects are those who are diagnosed when the cancer is small and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumor at an early stage can then offer good chances of recovery.
Routine mammography, offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70, means more breast cancers are diagnosed and treated early.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call the free hotline on 0808 800 6000